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Ernie Watts |
Excerpt from Ernie Watts' Lesson:
Practicing
Why do we play the saxophone? Do we
play this instrument to muscle people? Do we play for our ego? Do we play to try
to prove to somebody else that plays this instrument that we do it better than
they do?
It depends on the individual. For me, it has come to the point of creating
beauty, creating something that touches someone. When I practice, when I work on
playing or when I work on my tunes, I strive for some aspect of my concept of
beauty. This is a philosophical thing, but I believe that if you are given a
musical gift, or you have this “talent,” it is a gift. You have chosen or you
have been chosen to be a tool for this energy to work through you and to create
beauty on earth. You become a tool or channel for this energy to manifest itself
on the physical plane. When you think of it this way, your relationship to the
horn means being as fluid and clear on the instrument and having as few
technical problems as possible, in order to allow this energy to flow through
you into creation. |
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My whole premise for
practicing scales and arpeggios is to be as fluid and as clear
technically on the instrument as I possibly can. It’s to create a
situation where there is a minimum of resistance for the energy to flow
through. I play music to tell a story, to give something, a pearl, the
kind of thing that makes people feel better when they leave than when
they got there. That’s why I do what I do.
I have a particular way of practicing so I feel clear on the instrument
and there is no resistance. When I play my scales and arpeggios I don’t
want to feel the instrument in my hand. When I get to that point, I
know that I’m clear. I practice for that. I practice for that thing
that happens when you are in touch with your instrument and it’s like
talking. You’re not dealing with whether the low D is going to be a
pain in the butt today or whether you’re going to be able to play the
altissimo C.
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For Ernie Watts'
complete lesson plus musical examples, including a CD of Ernie playing those
examples, plus five more incredible lessons by other great artists, you just gotta pick up
Master Lessons For The Creative Musician. |
